Posts about Roads
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Northern Virginia needs better suburb-to-suburb transit. Here’s where rapid bus service could help.
While Maryland’s Purple Line is the biggest suburb-to-suburb transit project in the region, Virginia also has a number of corridors that are good candidates for this kind of connection. Northern Virginia has a particular need for such projects because it has so many large suburban job centers. Keep reading…
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Adjusting the price of parking based on demand has many benefits, a Chinatown study shows
As on-street parking becomes more coveted, cities are looking for ways to better manage those spaces. In January 2019, the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) published a final report from its year-long Penn Quarter/Chinatown Parking Pricing Pilot program. Keep reading…
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This former trolley line is close to becoming a walking and biking trail from the Palisades to Georgetown
Five years ago, I began a mission to restore the Foundry Branch Bridge in Georgetown and turn the Palisades Trolley Trail into a path for people biking, scooting, and walking. Now, with the help of a variety of organizations and individuals, we're close to the finish line. Keep reading…
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Complete streets are too expensive and too hard on drivers, a top Montgomery County Council staffer says
Planners in Montgomery County want to make Veirs Mill into a complete street, with amenities for all kinds of users including Bus Rapid Transit, sidewalks, a grade-separated crossing of the Matthew Henson Trail, and a bikeway. However, Montgomery County Deputy Director Glenn Orlin says that will all be too expensive and will make driving worse. Keep reading…
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DC might buy and demolish the “Dave Thomas Circle” Wendy’s. Here’s what it should do next.
It might be DC's most awkward and hated intersection: the spot where New York Avenue, Florida Avenue, and several other streets all meet. But DDOT may soon redesign it. Here's how that would work. Keep reading…
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With Ubers, Amazon deliveries, taxis, and more, “PUDO zones” rebalance how we use our curbs
Cities are constantly responding to new technology and residents' evolving needs, and the curb is one place where big changes are happening. As ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft have expanded in the past few years, drivers frequently resort to stopping on the street and in bicycle lanes to pick up and drop off passengers. Keep reading…
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What would a Green New Deal for DC look like?
The Green New Deal, the economic and environmental plan most prominantly championed by New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, has sweeping ideas for a change in national policy. But what would a more localized Green New Deal for DC look like? Keep reading…
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Our region needs better suburb-to-suburb transit, but a Metro loop isn’t the best option
The Washington region has a dearth of transit connecting its suburban areas, as I wrote in my first post in this series. Some people have latched onto the idea of extending the Purple Line into a loop around the Beltway to help remedy this problem. While it's an intriguing idea, there are better ways to connect these communities. Keep reading…
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This locally-made app helps you report dangerous drivers
Life as a pedestrian, cyclist, or scootist in the Washington region can be a harrowing experience. Vehicles blocking crosswalks or standing in bike lanes are commonplace occurrences that put everyone at risk—especially those of us not protected by two tons of steel. Keep reading…
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Maryland toll lanes won’t ease traffic, critics say
The Hogan administration is moving ahead with plans to construct new toll lanes on I-270 and the Capital Beltway in Maryland, while Virginia Governor Northam inked a deal to expand the state's toll lanes as well. But critics say that the plans are moving too fast, procedurally, while the actual highway may not move most drivers faster at all. Keep reading…